Learn English for sales with lessons on sales English. Our lessons cover all aspects of business English for sales with in-depth coverage of the entire sales process, B-2-B, business development and more.
Learn English for sales with Business English Pod lessons for sales English. Learn English for making sales calls, dealing with customers, attending trade shows and the entire sales process with our sales English lessons. Our English for sales lessons are listed by release date, with the newest lessons first.
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English for purchasing. This lesson looks at language for evaluating proposals from vendors.
Business is all about buying and selling. And just as your company sells products to individual consumers or other companies, you also have to purchase goods and services to make it all happen. For ongoing purchasing relationships, this means evaluating different vendors to find the best match.
So, when you sit with your team to evaluate vendor proposals, what will you talk about? These discussions often involve comparing pricing, timelines, quality, and service. You might also talk about warranties, reliability, and risks. And just like any group process, the quality of the decision will come down not just to the facts in front of you, but your ability to communicate clearly about them.
In conversations about vendor proposals, there are several aspects you might consider. You might assess risk as well as vendor capacity. You might also evaluate the total cost and compare value, as opposed to the basic contract price. And finally, you might prioritize the different criteria you use to assess the vendors.
In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a conversation between managers at a fitness equipment company called xFit. Hazel, Adam, and Nick are evaluating proposals to choose a manufacturer of a specific part for their line of treadmills. In previous lessons on purchasing, we heard xFit choose a company called VinMech to produce a part for a different exercise machine.
Listening Questions
1. What does Adam say about SteelWorks production capacity?
2. What does Nick say adds value to VinMech as a possible vendor?
3. Which criteria does Adam say are the most important consideration in this decision?
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Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the fifth in our series on financial English. In this lesson, we’ll focus on selling a client on a new investment opportunity.
Some people would say that selling is all about convincing someone that they want or need what you’ve got. But that’s just half of it. A car salesman might convince you that you want a new car. But then he has to show you why his car is better than the others. And that it’s worth the money he’s asking.
Things get a little trickier when it comes to selling financial services. Investing isn’t just about the current value, but about how that value will grow in the future. So, compared to selling a car, there’s just a lot more at stake!
In this situation, you’ll need to do a good job of assessing risk and comparing an opportunity to other opportunities. You’ll also need to work with clients who’ve done some research. That means warning them against bad information and showing them alternatives. It also means reducing pressure on the client so that you don’t scare them off.
In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a conversation between Robert, an investment advisor, and his client Jessica. Robert is attempting to sell an opportunity to Jessica and steer her away from bad information.
Listening Questions
1. What does Robert say is the difference in risk between a classic and an alternative hedge fund?
2. What does Robert say about corporate bonds after Jessica mentions that she’s read about them?
3. What does Robert suggest as an alternative to corporate bonds?
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Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the fourth in our series on financial English. In this lesson, we’ll focus on pitching a new opportunity to a client.
In certain ways, selling financial services is just like selling any other kind of product. You connect with people and you match your solution to their needs or desires. And, of course, you show how that solution is worth the money it costs. But with financial services, these activities are usually much higher stakes.
Working with other people’s money requires you to work on maintaining a strong relationship. It’s not a one-off purchase, but an ongoing transaction. You need to let them know how their investments are doing and show clients you understand them as people, including their concerns.
Then, when the time is right, you can pitch new opportunities. If you’re smart, you can set up a real win-win situation with your clients. If they earn more money, then you earn more money, and you both end up better off.
In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a conversation between Robert, an investment advisor, and his client Jessica. Robert wants to give Jessica an update on her current investments before introducing a new opportunity involving a hedge fund.
Listening Questions
1. What expression did Jessica use previously that Robert now brings back up in order to pitch her a new opportunity?
2. What does Robert say is the main benefit of a hedge fund?
3. How does Robert respond when Jessica expresses concerns that a hedge fund requires a big investment?
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Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the third in a three-part series on how to sell financial services.
For people with money, choosing a wealth manager is a high stakes decision. They want to be able to sleep well at night, knowing their hard-earned money and assets are in good hands. They want to choose a financial services professional – or a firm – they can trust.
To build the trust required to sell financial services, you need to ask the right questions and provide the right information. To develop rapport and understanding with a potential client, you might ask about their major financial concerns. And you might have to answer tough questions about your performance to convince them that you’re the right choice.
In our last lesson, we learned a lot of great collocations, or common expressions, related to financial services. Some expressions are well-known, but you may find yourself explaining some jargon or special terms to a potential client. And at a certain point in the discussion, you’ll have to find a diplomatic way of introducing the topic of fees.
In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a conversation between Robert and Jessica. Robert works for Vickers Wealth Management as a financial advisor. Jessica is a potential client. She’s looking for someone to help manage her assets. Now, they’re nearing the end of their first conversation in Robert’s office.
Listening Questions
1. What are Jessica’s biggest worries about?
2. What is Robert going to send to Jessica to help her understand his company’s performance?
3. What special wealth management term does Robert explain to Jessica?
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Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the first in a three-part series on selling financial services.
A wise person once observed that sales isn’t just about selling. It’s about building trust and educating. Nowhere is this more true than in world of professional services. And one of the highest stakes professional services to sell are financial services.
Convincing someone to let you manage their money is no easy task! Just think of your own savings, assets, and investments. You probably wouldn’t just entrust them to a faceless business entity. You want to know who’s managing your wealth and you want to know you can trust them to do a good job. Indeed, it’s all about trust.
So, when you’re meeting a potential client considering your financial services, it’s important to start by building personal rapport and establishing credibility. From there you can begin asking questions about a person’s priorities and level of wealth. Discussing these topics will set you up for looking more deeply into the person’s situation and demonstrating you’re the right one to manage their wealth.
In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a conversation between Robert and Jessica. Robert is a financial advisor with a company called Vickers Wealth Management. Jessica is a working professional looking for financial help as she plans for her future. Robert and Jessica have been introduced by a mutual friend. Now they’re sitting down for the first time in Robert’s office.
Listening Questions
1. Why does Robert mention when the company was founded and their advisors’ qualifications?
2. What does Robert want to ask about before discussing Jessica’s current situation?
3. What does Robert want to get a “rough idea” about?
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